Bending machine, more particularly for steel rods for reinforcing concrete

ABSTRACT

A bending machine for concrete reinforcing steel rods comprising a bending plate having one central and one eccentrically positioned bending tool thereon, and locking means whereby the bending plate can be rotated about either of the two tools, to bend a rod, and at least one fixed rod support for outside the bending plate.

United States Patent Peddinghaus 1 July 15, 1975 [5 BENDING MACHINE, MORE 2,743,757 5/1956 Terwilliger 72/219 PART] ULARLY FOR STEEL RODS FOR 3,475,938 11/1969 Whitney et al. 72/159 REINFSRCING CONCRETE 3,657,911 4/1972 Clarke 72/157 3,670.54] 6/1972 Peddinghaus.... 72/8 [76] Inventor: Carl Ullrich Peddinghaus, Obere 3,680,347 8/1972 Schcnck 7 2 /2l7 Lichtenplatzerstrasse Bondarenko Wuppertal Barmen, Germany [22] Filed: Mar. 27, 1973 Primary ExaminerC. W. Lanham [21] Appl NOJ 345,348 Assistant ExaminerM. J. Keenan [30] Foreign Application Priority Data ABSTRACT Mar. 29, I972 Germany 2215490 A bending machine for concrete reinforcing steel rods [52] US. Cl 72/217; 72/219 Comprising a bending plate having one central and one [51] hit. Cl B2ld 7/02 eccentricauy positioned bending tool thereon and [58] Field Of Search 72/216, 217, 219, 318, locking means whereby the bending plate can be 72380 383 tated about either of the two tools, to bend a rod, and at least one fixed rod support for dutside the bending [56] References CIted plata UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,723,701 11/1955 Shaw 1. 72/219 10 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures BENDING MACHINE, MORE PARTICULARLY FOR STEEL RODS FOR REINFORCING CONCRETE The invention relates to a bending machine, more particularly for steel rods for reinforcing concrete, of the kind having a bending plate carrying a central and an eccentric bending tool, said plate being-rotatable in a clockwise and an anti clockwise direction about its central bending tool, and with at least one fixed support arranged outside the bending plate.

With bending machines of this kind it is often necessary to produce, with one loop, successive bends which have opposite directions of rotation and which are usually called double, curved up bends. As a rule, this is only possible if the half finished loops between two bends are turned by hand on to the other side.

Taking this as a starting point, the object of the invention is to develop a bending machine of the type described in which it is possible to produce either standard bends or double, upwardly curved bends, without the structural cost of this or the amount of work involved increasing to the extent which would otherwise be necessary. The new bending machine should therefore exclude the necessity of using a special machine for double, upwardly curved bends.

In accordance with the invention a bending machine of the kind specified has a bending plate which can also be rotated about its eccentric bending tool, and in that locking means are associated with both these drive means which, according to requirement, hold the axis of the central bending tool or that of the eccentric bending tool in a fixed position, and further support being arranged opposite to the support on the same side of the bending machine.

Consequently, in the new bending machine, the tool which is eccentric in relation to the bending plate and the central tool can be interchanged with regard to their function so that the double bends can be effected in consecutive steps without the material which is to be bent having to be turned.

Bolts which can be raised and lowered hydraulically and which are arranged to engage, on the side of the bending plate remote from the bending tools, in bearing bores provided in said plate and concentric with the bending tools, are particularly suitable as locking means. Therefore, depending on the type of bend desired, one of the axes of the bending tools can be fixed in position. This arrangement has the further advantage with horizontally constructed bending plates, that it is located on the underneath of the bending plate and hence there is considerable protection against dirt which may drop down from the sides.

A further bending plate which is constructed as an eccentric disc, rotatable by means of external toothing, is particularly suitable for driving and at the same time mounting the bending plate, said additional plate surrounding the bending plate and also forming a peripheral bearing for said bending plate, the axis of said additional plate coinciding with the axis of the eccentric bending tool in its locking position, in which it holds said axis in a fixed position. This arrangement can be kept completely free from impurities if the bending plate which is constructed as an eccentric disc forms a housing body, which can be driven from the outside, for receiving the locking means and a further drive motor for the bending plate carrying the bending tools.

Both the supply cable for the drive motor which has just been mentioned, and the supply pipes for the hydraulic locking function are guided out of the housing in this arrangement and are of sufficient length to be able to follow the housing body to accommodate the maximum angle of rotation of said body.

It is also possible to provide the bending plate which carries the bending tools with external toothing and to surround said plate with an eccentric annulus having external and internal teeth which are in meshing engagement with said plate, the axis of said annulus also coinciding with the axis of the eccentric bending tool in its locking position, in which it holds said axis in a fixed position. If the type of locking means comprising a bolt is used, which is to be brought into the positions corresponding to the bending tools, bending can only be effected by means of the drive of the aforementioned annulus, either about the central bending tool or about the eccentric bending tool. It is of course also possible to use two bolts as locking means, of which only one is in its engaged position at any given time.

With a single drive motor, if an additional bending plate which is in the form of an eccentric disc is used, the machine can still be operated if the drive motor is engaged with the external gearing of the eccentric disc by means of a disengageable pinion which, when in a disengaged position, meshes with a drive gear which is fixed concentrically to the bending plate, on the side of the plate remote from the bending tools.

Finally, a further advantage of using an additional bending plate which is in the form of an eccentric disc, is that it can be provided with bores for receiving further, eccentric bending tools if this is required. These bending tools are then used if the additional eccentric disc bending plate is driven, whereby the axis of the bending tool which is eccentric in relation to the inner bending plate is fixed and thus coincides with the axis of the eccentric disc bending plate. If additional bending tools are used, it is possible to meet substantially all the requirements of a bending machine which is to be universally used.

In order to illustrate the invention further by way of example, reference is made to the accompanying drawings in which FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic plan view of essential components of a bending machine, according to the invention,

FIG. 2 is a side view of a first embodiment constructed in accordance with the principles of FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 is a side view of a second embodiment constructed in accordance with the principles of FIG. 1,

FIG. 4 is a side view of a modified embodiment and FIG. 5 is a side view of a still further embodiment.

FIG. 1 shows a bending plate 1 with a central bending tool 2 and an eccentric bending tool 3. Two fixed supports 4 and 5 are located outside the bending plate. The principle of the method of functioning of the bending machine is clear from this if one considers that the bending plate 1 can be rotated, according to choice, either about the bending tool 2 or about the bending tool 3. The bending tool which determines the bending radius then lies on the right or on the left hand side of the rod 6 which is to be bent, as viewed in FIG. 1, said rod at the same time being supported by one of the two fixed supports 4 or 5.

As shown in FIG. 1, the bending plate 1 is surrounded by a further bending plate 7 which is in the form of an eccentric disc, said plate 7 having further bores, one of which is identified by numeral 8, for receiving, if required, additional eccentric bending tools. In a particular arrangement, which is to be described in conjunction with FIG. 4, the bending plate 1 is encircled by an externally and internally toothed eccentric annulus, instead of the eccentric disc, which also supports its periphery.

As is apparent from FIG. 2, the bending plate 7 which is constructed as an eccentric disc, has a bevel gear wheel 9 through which the drive is effected from a drive motor 10 by means of a bevel gear 9. The drive motor 10 is secured in a housing 11. The whole of the centre portion of the bending plate 7 is constructed as a housing body 12 which is mounted in the housing 11 by means ofa spigot 13 and which is supported by a roller bearing 14 on a race face of the housing. A further drive motor 15 is located in the housing body 12 said motor driving the bending plate 1 by means of a bevel gear drive system 16. A bolt 17, which can be raised and lowered hydraulically, engages in a bearing bore 18 located below the bending tool 3, when the bending plate 1 is to be driven about the bending tool 3 through the bending plate 7. For this, drive is effected by means of the motor 10. The bolt 17 can however also be lowered and the bending plate 1 can then be driven by the motor 15, whereby the bending plate 1 is driven about the central bending tool 2. The bending plate 7 is in this instance, locked by a bolt (not shown) in a convenient manner.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, only one drive motor 19 is used for driving the eccentric disc shaped bending plate 7 which is provided with external gear teeth 20, and for the bending plate 1, which has'a central drive gear 21 on the side remote from the bending tools. The motor 19 drives a pinion 22 which can be engaged in a position in which it drives the toothed wheel 20 through a gear 23. In addition, the pinion 22 can'be engaged in a second position to drive the gear 21 of the bending plate 1. The bolt 17, which is only shown in diagrammatic form in the drawing, is lowered in this case, so that the bending plate 1 can rotate about its central bending tool 2.

In the embodiment in FIG. 4, the bending plate 1 has external gear teeth 24 which mesh with internal gear teeth of an annulus 25 which surrounds the bending plate 1 eccentrically. The annulus 25 also has external teeth 20 and is driven by means of a motor 27 through a pinion 26. Below the bending plate 1, the bolt 17 which can be raised and lowered hydraulically is shown in a position in which it fixes the axis of the central bending tool 2. In this state, the eccentric annulus 25 drives the bending plate 1 about its central bending tool 2. When the bolt 17 is lowered and moved sideways into a position in which it it lifted into the bearing bore 18 below the eccentric bending tool 3, the bending plate 1 is driven about the eccentric bending tool 3 by the annulus 25. In this instance therefore, not only is only one motor used, but there is furthermore no need for a disengageable coupling to the motor. The cylinder of the bolt 17 is provided, in a suitable manner, with delivery pipes for operating the bolt 17, said pipes enabling hydraulic fluid to be pumped in or discharged respectively. Moreover, a horizontal guideway is conveniently provided for the hydraulic unit, through which movement into the two positions is possible, for instance with the aid of a positioning cylinder which engages on said bolt cylinder. The housing of the bending machine is conveniently provided with a guideway 28, below the bending plate 1. A cover disc 29 helps to prevent dirt from penetrating from above, said disc 29 being secured to the housing when the bending plate 1 is rotated about its central tool, and rotating together with the eccentric annulus 25 when the bending plate 1 is driven about its eccentric bending tool 3. Additional locking means are provided for this, with which the cover 29 can be bolted either to the housing'of the bending machine or to the eccentric annulus 25.

In the embodiment of FIG. 5, the bending plate 1 is also mounted in the bending plate 7, being enclosed by said plate 7, and is provided with external gear teeth 24 which mesh with an eccentrically rotating annulus 25 with internal teeth The annulus is in turn driven through a pinion 26 through external teeth 20, a drive shaft of said pinion 26 being indicated by numeral 30 and being "connected to a motor which is not shown. The annulus 25 is mounted in the housing 11 and serves in turn as a concentric bearing for the enclosed bending plate 7. The latter serves to mount the inner bending plate 1 eccentrically and has a drive shaft 31 with a coupling member 32 which can be engaged in two axially spaced positions, saidcoupling member being guided for axial movement in a disc 33 which is secured to the drive shaft 31. The coupling member 32 can be pulled downwardly by means of magnets 34 fitted in the housing 11 so that a toothed ring 35 thereon meshes with atoothed ring 36 which is fixed on the housing 11, so that the drive shaft 31 is locked in relation to the housing 11. When the coupling member 32 is inthis position, only the inner bending plate 1 rotates. However, when the coupling part 32 is attracted by further magnets 37 which are secured in the annulus 25 teeth 38 thereon mesh with toothed ring 39 which is located on the annulus 25 so that drive then takes place through the shaft 31 and both the surrounding bending plate 7, and the inner bending plate 1 rotate "about the axis of the bending'tool 3.The gears 35, 36,

38 and 39 are all spur gears. An exact angular adjustment' of the surrounding bending plate 7 is made possible by means of a control which is set with the aid of 'a finger 40, whilst exact angular positioning of the inner bending plate 1 is obtained by means of the adjustment finger 41 which positions a control.

In addition to the apertures for receiving the bending tools 2, 3 and 8, which have been described in the previous embodiments, a further aperture 81 can be seen in FIG. 5 for receiving a tool. This is not however a bending tool but is in fact a bolt serving as a support which is employed when the inner bending plate 1 is used.

I claim:

1. A bending machine for steel rods for reinforcing concrete, comprising a first bending plate carrying a central and an'eccentric bending tool, said first bending plate being adapted to be selectively rotatable in a clockwise and an anti-clockwise direction about its central bending tool, and having at least one fixed support arranged outside said bending plate, said bending plate also being adapted to be rotatable about its eccentric bending tool, locking means being associated with respective drive means whichcan hold the axis of the central bending tool, or that of the eccentric bending tool in a fixed position, and a further support being arranged outside to said one fixed support on the same side of the bending machine, a further bending plate surrounding said first bending plate and being constructed as an eccentric disc and being adapted to be driven by means of external teeth, said further bending plate forming a bearing for the first bending plate, said eccentric bending tool of said first bending plate coinciding with the axis of said further bending plate.

2. A bending machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein said locking means comprise bolts adapted to be raised and lowered hydraulically, said bolts engaging on the side of said first bending plate remote from the bending tools in respective bearing bores which are provided in said first bending plate and which are concentric with said bending tools respectively.

3. A bending machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein a drive motor is provided for driving engagement with the external teeth of the further bending plate, said further bending plate being in the form of an eccentric disc.

4. A bending machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein a drive motor is engaged with the external teeth of the further bending plate by means of a disengageable pinion which, when in a disengaged position, meshes with a drive gear which is fixed concentrically to said first bending plate on the side thereof remote from said bending tools.

5. A bending machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein said further eccentric disc bending plate has bores for receiving further eccentric bending tools.

6. A bending machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein said further eccentric disc bending plate forms a housing body which can be driven from the outside, and adapted to receive the locking means and also to receive another drive motor for said first bending plate which carries the bending tools.

7. A bending machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein said further eccentric disc bending plate is provided with additional apertures for receiving bolts which serve as supports when said first bending plate is in use.

8. A bending machine as claimed in claim 1, comprising a driven annulus with inner gear teeth for driving engagement with said first bending plate, said annulus being mounted concentrically to said further eccentric disc bending plate, said further bending plate having a drive shaft with a coupling member which is engageable in two axially spaced positions, said coupling member providing a connection with the driven annulus in one position, and in the other position forming locking means in relation to a housing of the bending machine.

9. A bending machine for steel rods for reinforcing concrete, comprising a first bending plate carrying a central and an eccentric bending tool, said first bending plate being adapted to be selectively rotatable in a clockwise and anti-clockwise direction about its central bending tool, and having at least one fixed support arranged outside said bending plate, said bending plate also being adapted to be rotatable about its eccentric bending tool, locking means being associated with respective drive means which hold the axis of the central bending tool, or that of the eccentric bending tool, in a fixed position, and a further support being arranged opposite to said one fixed support on the same side of the bending machine, said first bending plate having external teeth and being surrounded by an externally and internally toothed eccentric annulus which meshes with said first bending plate, the axis of said annulus coinciding with the axis of said eccentric bending tool in its locking position.

10. A bending machine as claimed in claim 9, wherein a drive motor is provided for driving engagement with the external teeth of the annulus, said further bending plate being in the form of an eccentric disc. 

1. A bending machine for steel rods for reinforcing concrete, comprising a first bending plate carrying a central and an eccentric bending tool, said first bending plate being adapted to be selectively rotatable in a clockwise and an anti-clockwise direction about its central bending tool, and having at least one fixed support arranged outside said bending plate, said bending plate also being adapted to be rotatable about its eccentric bending tool, locking means being associated with respective drive means which can hold the axis of the central bending tool, or that of the eccentric bending tool in a fixed position, and a further support being arranged outside to said one fixed support on the same side of the bending machine, a further bending plate surrounding said first bending plate and being constructed as an eccentric disc and being adapted to be driven by means of external teeth, said further bending plate forming a bearing for the first bending plate, said eccentric bending tool of said first bending plate coinciding with the axis of said further bending plate.
 2. A bending machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein said locking means comprise bolts adapted to be raised and lowered hydraulically, said bolts engaging on the side of said first bending plate remote from the bending tools in respective bearing bores which are provided in said first bending plate and which are concentric with said bending tools respectively.
 3. A bending machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein a drive motor is provided for driving engagement with the external teeth of the further bending plate, said further bending plate being in the form of an eccentric disc.
 4. A bending machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein a drive motor is engaged with the external teeth of the further bending plate by means of a disengageable pinion which, when in a disengaged poSition, meshes with a drive gear which is fixed concentrically to said first bending plate on the side thereof remote from said bending tools.
 5. A bending machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein said further eccentric disc bending plate has bores for receiving further eccentric bending tools.
 6. A bending machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein said further eccentric disc bending plate forms a housing body which can be driven from the outside, and adapted to receive the locking means and also to receive another drive motor for said first bending plate which carries the bending tools.
 7. A bending machine as claimed in claim 1, wherein said further eccentric disc bending plate is provided with additional apertures for receiving bolts which serve as supports when said first bending plate is in use.
 8. A bending machine as claimed in claim 1, comprising a driven annulus with inner gear teeth for driving engagement with said first bending plate, said annulus being mounted concentrically to said further eccentric disc bending plate, said further bending plate having a drive shaft with a coupling member which is engageable in two axially spaced positions, said coupling member providing a connection with the driven annulus in one position, and in the other position forming locking means in relation to a housing of the bending machine.
 9. A bending machine for steel rods for reinforcing concrete, comprising a first bending plate carrying a central and an eccentric bending tool, said first bending plate being adapted to be selectively rotatable in a clockwise and anti-clockwise direction about its central bending tool, and having at least one fixed support arranged outside said bending plate, said bending plate also being adapted to be rotatable about its eccentric bending tool, locking means being associated with respective drive means which hold the axis of the central bending tool, or that of the eccentric bending tool, in a fixed position, and a further support being arranged opposite to said one fixed support on the same side of the bending machine, said first bending plate having external teeth and being surrounded by an externally and internally toothed eccentric annulus which meshes with said first bending plate, the axis of said annulus coinciding with the axis of said eccentric bending tool in its locking position.
 10. A bending machine as claimed in claim 9, wherein a drive motor is provided for driving engagement with the external teeth of the annulus, said further bending plate being in the form of an eccentric disc. 